Darkness in the Rising Sun
by Grand Helios
Summary: Sly Cooper has confessed to Carmelita, and re-joined his gang. The vixen was given a replacement, along with a case, concerning a yakuza gang in Japan. Apparently, she is starting to take a liking to him. How will this affect her relationship with Sly?
1. Prologue

**(Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; Sucker punch production does.)**

First Sly Cooper Fanfic I have ever done... Ever... Of all time**  
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><p>"Ten seconds, Ringtail…" the fox growled. <p>

Our favorite master thief stared down at the barrel of a shock pistol, then direct his eyes towards none other than Carmelita Montoya Fox. In his hand was a bouquet of roses. Both were wearing their traditional attire. They were standing on the rooftops, neither of them making sudden movements. 

"Carm, please, let me explain…" 

Carmelita was angry, but was in tears at the same time. She grit her teeth as she continues to aim the shock pistol at the master thief. 

"I'm sorry that I lied to you, and I know that you won't forgive me for it, but Carm, I did it so I can be with you. I may have lied about my amnesia, but my feelings for you remain true…" 

Sly turned his back on the fox, tears starting to form in his eyes. 

"I just want to tell you, Carm, that I love you, and I hope someday we will meet again where our professions will not get in the way… Au revoir, Carmelita Fox…" 

The master thief placed the bouquet of roses he was holding, on the floor before running off. Carmelita lowered her weapon as she picks up the bouquet and wipes her tears away. 

After the ten second head start, she tossed the roses aside, and began her pursuit on her master thief. 

Out on a balcony of a hotel, close to the scene, a figure watched the entire scene. 

"My my…. This will be interesting…." 

That night, Carmelita stopped her pursuit, and returned to her apartment. She tossed her shock pistol on the couch, walked into her room, and dropped her face on a pillow on her bed. The vixen wept and wept until she fell asleep. 

Meanwhile Sly returned to the safe house, where his friends greeted him with joy. 

"Welcome back, buddy! We missed you!" the pink hippo hollered as he brings the raccoon into a tight hug. 

"Murray..! I miss you too, buddy..." Sly, using what breath he has left, said. 

"Give him some air, Murray!" Bentley exclaimed, waving his arms in the air. 

Murray dropped his friend. The master thief got up and brushed some dirt off. He was happy to be back home, and back to his traditional ways. After a few hours of chatting about his adventures as a cop, He walked into his old room, where everything was left untouched, including his cane, the cooper's family heirloom. Sly picked the cane up, and twirls it around a bit, enjoying the good memories he had using it, before putting it into his closet. The master thief dropped himself in bed, and pulled out a picture. 

The picture had Sly and Carmelita, together in a pier, smiling and holding hands, while fireworks going off in the back ground. It was their first official date. 

"I miss you already…."


	2. Chapter 1

**(Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; Sucker punch production does.)**

Well, I managed to finish another chapter. I guess being in school is the only reason why I can update faster. Oh well, enjoy... And hope I can make longer chapters...

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><p><em>Three weeks later...<em>

Carmelita growled at the sight of 5 huge stacks of papers, sitting on her desk.

"I guess I deserved this..."

The vixen took a seat, pulled out a pen, and got started.

For the past 3 weeks, there hasn't been any activity from the master thief and his gang, but that doesn't change anything about the other crimes happening. Chief Barkley had his suspicions about Sly's amnesia, so he a replacement ready for the vixen in case the raccoon actually faked it. And fortunately for him, he was right.

Carmelita skimmed through the papers, and found a note. It was the note, Sly had left in her office on the night he confessed.

_Dear Carm_

_My time as a cop and as your boyfriend has been nothing, but joy and happiness, but I cannot hide the fact that I lied to you. I faked my amnesia just so I can be with you._

Angered and saddened by the memory, the vixen crumbled up the note, and was about to throw it into the trash bin, but for some reason. Instead she opens a drawer that held love notes and gifts from Sly that he leaves on her desk, and tosses it in there. She had her back turned when a knock came from the door, followed by a sound, indicating that it was opening. A fox walked in, holding a stack of papers.

"Excuse me, miss, but I have some- Oi!" the figure ducked as by reflex, Carmelita picked up a stapler, and throws it at him.

The stapler flew over the fox, and unfortunately, an officer walked by, and took the hit to the side of his head.

"Oh! Sorry there." the vixen apologized.

"Its alright. Are you Inspector Carmelita Fox?" the fox asked.

"Thats me."

"Well, I'm your new partner. I'm Inspector Kurai Akatsuki."

Carmelita took a good look at the fox. He had white fur, long white hair, was wearing a black kimono with a red vine like design on it, indicating that he was Japanese, nine tails for some odd reason, but the thing that caught her eye was the fox's bloody red eyes.

"Uh, you know clothes like that aren't allowed here." the inspector pointed out.

"Hm? Oh, this is actually my uniform when I'm not out busting a criminal. We wear it back in Japan. Right now, they haven't given me a uniform for here yet."

Kurai showed the vixen the Interpol badge strapped on his sleeve.

Carmelita sat back down, and went on with her papers, looking at the stack, the fox was holding.

"I'm guessing those are for me?"

"Nope, sadly their mine..."

The fox walked off, and closed the door.

"He seems nice. Not like the other guys..." the vixen thought.

For the next hour, the inspector continues on with paperwork, until the last one was finally finished. There was nothing else to do, so she decides to pay her new partner a visit. Carmelita walked out of the office, and made her way into the fox's office, ignoring male officer's attempts to woo her.

She finally found the fox's door that had some Japanese writing on it, and knocked. A crash sound was heard on the other side. The door opened, and Kurai, along with the room, was covered in papers.

"Hehe, whoops... Slipped on a pen..." the fox said, rubbing the back of his head.

Carmelita rolled her eyes as she helps her partner clean up the office.

"Well, thats all done. I heard from the chief that you're new to France." the vixen pointed out.

Kurai nodded as he stacks the papers on his desk.

"Wanna grab some lunch after this? I don't think I'll have enough time to eat after I'm done with this."

"If you think thats a lot, then see how much I get, but fine, lets go. I'll drive."

"Alright then, inspector."

The two inspectors left the building in Carmelita's car, and drove to a nearby cafe. There, they took a seat at a table outside.

"Can you read french?" the vixen asked.

"Not much. Gomen nasai. If its on the menu, I'll just have a cup of tea."

Carmelita nodded as she went through the menu. A waitress came, and the two spoke in french. She nodded and walked off. There was a silence between the two Interpol officers.

"So how long have you been in Interpol?" the vixen asked.

"Three years straight."

The two went on chatting, sharing a few laughs while they were at it. From a good distance, our favorite thief was watching, carefully. Jealousy and sadness filled in his mind.

"I guess she has moved on... But who is that fellow?" the raccoon thought as he zooms in with his binocucom.

After half an hour, the raccoon got nothing, and left the two officers alone.

Kurai took a sip of his tea, then looked at the cars passing by.

"Huh, usually I see more people than cars on the road."

"Well, thats France for ya."

The two made a small chuckle, before a gunshot was heard coming from the inside of the cafe. Immediately, they pulled out their shock pistols, and hugged the walls next to the door.

"You're ready, partner?" Carmelita asked.

"Yuppo..."

They waited for three seconds, then kicked the door open, and ran inside.

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><p><em>Gomen nasai<em>: I'm sorry

Well, ain't that dandy?


	3. Chapter 2

**(Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; Sucker punch production does.)**

Enjoy the chapter. I actually made it longer this time for once. Enjoy and review.

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><p>"Freeze!" the two officers commanded.<p>

They stood in front of three thugs. Immediately they each pulled out a revolver, and fired upon the inspectors. The Interpol officers took cover behind two knocked over tables across from each other.

"When were there times when that line actually works, Inspector?" Kurai asked.

"… I'm gonna go with rarely…"

Carmelita showed the fox three fingers, and then slowly counts down. After the last finger dropped, the Interpol officers got out of cover, and fired upon the burglars. During the little gunfight, Carmelita made a loud yelp, and fell back into cover, holding onto her right shoulder and her left side of her stomach as blood began to pour.

"Kurai! Take mine!" the vixen yelled, tossing her shock pistol over to the fox.

He got back into cover, and took the pistol, then got out, and shot the three. Paralyzed, the burglars went down. Kurai runs over to his partner, puts her arm over his shoulders, and carried the vixen out to her car.

"We need to get those bullets out and those wounds patched up, Inspector. You're losing quite a lot of blood..."

The fox gently laid Old Ironsides on the front passenger seat, took out his cellphone, and called the chief. After a few minutes of talking, Kurai hung up, picked up three handcuffs from the glove compartment, and ran back into the cafe. After a few seconds, the sound of a shock pistol was heard, and the fox happily strolled on back to the car.

"What happened?" Carmelita curiously asked.

"The three were starting to move again, so I shot them again, and handcuffed them. Plus, unless they start to move again, I knocked them out cold."

"... Alright then. Theres a med kit in my apartment very close from here."

The vixen gave Kurai some simple directions, before passing out from blood loss. The fox ripped his entire sleeves off his kimono, and wraps it around the vixen's waist and her shoulder, took her keys, quickly starts up the car, and followed his partner's instructions.

Upon reaching the apartment, Kurai picked his partner up bridal style, and carried her to the living room.

"Oh thank goodness the room was close..." the fox thought as he gently lays the vixen on the table.

"Now if I were a medical kit, where would I be...?"

The fox started searching the kitchen, until he finds the kit under the sink. Immediately, the fox ran back to his partner, and began to perform medical procedures, starting with the removal of the bullets. He gently removed the jacket, and removed his torn sleeves from the wounds, while trying to resist the urge to stare. After disinfecting the wounds, the fox got out a pair of tweezers, and removed the bullets. After sewing up the wounds, and bandaging them, Kurai gently picked the vixen up, and carried her to the couch. After that he began to wash the blood off his hands, and wiped the blood off the table with a wet paper towel.

"Lets see... Phew! Shes still breathing..." the fox thought as he checks for a pulse.

An hour has passed, and Carmelita slowly awakes. She looks around, and takes notice of Kurai sleeping soundly on a chair.

"Note to self. Remember to thank him..."

The vixen carefully got up, trying not to reopen her wounds, and walked into her room. She removed her old clothes, and puts on a plain white T-shirt, and a pair of blue jeans. She walks back into the living room, just in time to see her partner awaken.

"You sound like you had a nice nap..." said Carmelita.

"Well, I didn't get shot."

The vixen rolled her eyes, and sat back on the couch.

"Not to be rude, but do you have any orange juice? I'm trying to stop drinking, after a little incident I had." the fox asked, embarrassed by the memory.

The inspector nodded.

As Kurai walked into the kitchen, he notices a picture of Carmelita and Sly at the pier, hanging on the wall.

"I heard Constable Cooper was a pretty good cop. What happened to him?" the fox asked.

The vixen hesitated a bit.

"We... Broke up, and it turned out that he faked his amnesia."

"He had amnesia? I didn't hear that about him. All I heard was that he was a pretty good cop."

Carmelita was a little surprised. One person who doesn't know the infamous master thief.

"You didn't know? He was a thief. And a damn good one at that. I spent my entire career trying to catch him. You see him quite a lot on the news."

"I don't watch tv... I overhear cops back in Japan about what a great cop he was. Never mentioning that he was a thief."

That explained everything. Kurai took out a glass cup, and poured himself some orange juice from the fridge. He proceeded to drink down the orange liquid until there was nothing left. The fox sighed in satisfaction as he rinses the cup in the sink, dries it with a paper towel, and places it back where he got it from.

Carmelita laid on the coach, staring at her partner. With the exception of his long white hair, he was quite handsome, but then she takes notice of the blood on his kimono.

The fox took notice of his partner staring and looked at himself.

"Uh... Hehe, can you show me where the bathroom is?"

"Its down the hall to your right. You can use my old partner's uniform. Its hanging in front of my door. I'm sure it will fit you."

He nodded as he walked off into the hall, and spotted the uniform. Taking it off the door hinge, he proceeded into the bathroom, and locked the door. He stripped himself of his clothes, turned on the shower, and walked in.

Meanwhile, Carmelita was busy watching TV. Nothing interesting, when her cellphone started ringing. The caller I.D. said, "Work", so she picked it up.

"Hello...? Hey, chief... We're alright... Did the burglars escape...? Thats good... We're at my apartment... NO! There is nothing going on between us...! We'll give you a full report tomorrow, sir... Bye."

The vixen hung up as Kurai walks into the room, wearing the uniform. His hair was all dried, and tied into a ponytail. Only left from his old uniform was the badge strapped to his left arm.

"This seems to fit me perfectly." the fox said.

Now that he was wearing Sly's old Interpol uniform, Carmelita had a better look at his features. The fox's build was very similar to Sly's. The vixen must have been staring for a long time because, Kurai was waving his hand in front of her face.

"Konnichiwa? Earth to Ms. Fox?" the fox asked.

Carmelita broke out of her trance, and blushed.

"Uh... We have to give the chief a full report, tomorrow." the vixen said, trying to change the subject.

Kurai's cellphone began to ring. He flips open the cellphone, and puts it to his ear.

"Moshi moshi...? Oh hey, chief... Alright, I'm on my way... Sayanora."

The inspector hung up and looked at Carmelita.

"Inspector, it seems that your ex boyfriend broke into HQ, and stole a file. Apparently, it was our new case."

"Then lets go. I want that raccoon behind bars. The sooner the better."

"Not with those stitches. Please, Ms. Fox. Stay here, and rest up. You'll reopen your wounds if you chase after Sly Cooper."

After some convincing, the vixen agreed, and laid there. Kurai nodded as he ran out, a shock pistol in hand.

Our master thief was running across the rooftops, with a file under his arm, escaping from the cops like old times. Only thing left was the arrival of his dear Carmelita.

"Where is she...?" the raccoon thought.

Sly continued to run until he notices a shadowy figure, chasing him. Thinking it was the vixen, he stopped, and turned. He thought wrong when a white, nine tailed fox stood there, aiming his shock pistol at him.

"Konnichiwa, Sly cooper." Kurai greeted

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><p><em>Konnichiwa<em>: Hello

Wow. I wrote a little longer. Oh well. Hope you enjoyed this.


	4. Chapter 3

**(Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; Sucker punch production does.)**

Phew! Another chapter finished!

Well, enjoy the chapter, and review.

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><p>"Who are you!" Sly demanded.<p>

"My my... No hello or anything...? Well, if you must know, I am Inspector Kurai Akatsuki, and pretty much I have to bring you in, Mr. Cooper."

"... So you're my replacement... You're even wearing my old uniform."

"Pretty much, yeah. Gomen nasai. My other uniform got torn apart, so Carmelita-chan gave me yours. Now, on to business. Would you like to tell me why you would steal such a file?"

The fox stares at the file in Sly's hand. The raccoon didn't answer.

"Come on, now. We're both thieves, aren't we...? Well, technically, I'm no longer a thief." the inspector said, scratching the back of his head.

"So you're telling me that you're a thief too? You sure don't look like the type who would steal."

"Looks can be deceiving, Mr. Cooper. Back in my homeland, I used to be a master thief myself. Not as famous as you though, but famous nevertheless. They used to call me, _The Phantom Thief_, cause like the name implies, I would disappear like I was a ghost after I successfully steal a precious item."

"Phantom Thief eh...?" Sly thought.

Apparently, he was in deep thought because Kurai was smirking at the raccoon, while waving the file in his hand, around.

"Wha? How did you-?" Sly was cut off when the white fox throws his shock pistol at him.

"If you want to know, Sly Cooper, then you're gonna have to catch me first!"

Kurai ran off, and hopped on another rooftop as Sly caught the shock pistol. The fox was still smirking at him.

"Since when did the thief and the cop switch roles?" the raccoon asked himself has he followed.

The two ran from roof top to roof top, neither of them showing signs of slowing down. Every once in a while, Sly would fire Kurai's shock pistol, but the fox easily dodged the blasts. Chasing the inspector into an alley, Sly thought that he had him corner, but instead of finding the white fox, he found no one there. After hopelessly searching the empty alley, the raccoon leaned back on the wall, and began to think.

"Now how did he just disappear like that? Maybe what they were right about him disappearing like a ghost after all..."

Kurai suddenly dropped down, and hung upside down on a clothes line, next to the master thief. His long, white hair almost touching the ground.

"Maybe..."

Sly fell to the side, surprised.

"How did-?" the raccoon was cut off again when the fox signaled him to stop, then drops down from the clothes line, and landed perfectly on his feet.

"An old trick from yours truly. Now, I do things differently than your usual cops."

The inspector lends Sly a hand, which he cautiously accepted, then pulled him up to his feet.

"I like to ask them questions first before I arrest them... My shock pistol, please."

He hesitated a bit. Sly handed the inspector his shock pistol back, hoping he won't instantly shoot him once he gets his gun back.

"Arigatou gozaimasu. Now, Mr. Cooper. What brought you into the path of thievery?" the fox kindly asked as he holster the shock pistol.

"Well, lets just say its family tradition. We steal only from criminals, and have been doing that from generation to generation. That file you have there, leads us to our next criminal."

Kurai let out a small chuckle.

"You remind me of Robin Hood. Steals from the rich, and gives it to the poor."

"Well, thats one way to put it."

The white fox opened the file, and began scanning through it's contents.

"Aha... Seems you're trying to bring down an infamous yakuza gang. Well, it seems that this case is assigned, or will be assigned to Carmelita-chan and I. Though I don't know why, but I get the feeling that theres another reason why you took this file..."

Sly grew annoyed and a little jealous at the fox. Not only was that Carmelita has a new partner, but from what he saw when he was spying in her and the inspector, it looked like she could be developing some feelings for him, moving on from the thief.

"I'll tell you what, Sly Cooper. I'll let you go this once, and to add to my generous offer, I'll even let you take some pictures of the contents in this file. Deal?" Kurai suggested.

Sly raised an eyebrow.

"You're actually letting me, Sly Cooper, the master thief, go? It would be a cop's dream to finally put me behind bars. You're a strange cop, you know that?" the raccoon asked.

"I get that quite a lot. Especially back in my homeland. Well, better start taking pictures."

Sly reached into his pouch, pulls out his binocucom, and started snapping photos of the file's contents. During this, Bentley appeared on the left screen.

"Sly! Where are you? You should have gotten back fifteen minutes ago!" the turtle screamed through the speakers.

"Jeez, buddy. Calm down or you'll have a heart attack or something. I got delayed by a cop."

"Were you flirting with Inspector Fox, again?"

The raccoon blushed a bit, due to the fact that Kurai was standing there, listening to the conversation while giving him an awkward look.

"Uh... No, its a different cop this time."

"... Are you done yet, Mr. Cooper? The cops are gonna be here soon, so its best if you pick up the pace." the white fox suggested.

After a few more seconds of picture taking, Sly tucked the binocucom back into his pouch.

"Uh... I don't know what to say."

"Well, Mr. Cooper, you can say thanks and run."

The raccoon shrugs, thanks the inspector, before running off. A few seconds later, a few police cars pulls up in front of Kurai. Chief Barkley came out of one, and walked up to him.

"Inspector? Did you catch Cooper?"

"Gomen nasai, chief. He got away, but I managed to get the file back with all of it's contents."

"I hope whatever you just said, means sorry, but good job for getting the file back."

"Arigatou gozaimasu, sir."

"Ok... Whatever that means. I expect you and Inspector Fox to be on time, tomorrow."

The fox nodded, and handed the old badger, the file. The chief walked back into the police car, and drove off with the others following.

"... Am I suppose to walk home or something?"

Kurai sighed as he tries to remember which way lead to his partner's apartment. After half an hour of searching, he knocked on the door. Noises from inside can be heard as the door opens by the vixen herself.

"You've been gone for quite a long time, partner." Carmelita pointed out.

"Well, spent that time, trying to catch Mr. Cooper. Lost him, but I got the file back." Kurai lied.

The vixen nodded as she lets the fox come inside. In her mind, she was relieved that her partner didn't catch the criminal. Her criminal.

"Well, tonight was one strange way of saying welcome to France." the fox said as he took a seat on the couch.

Carmelita rolled her eyes as she took a seat next to him. Nothing good was on TV. The usual.

"So this is what I have been missing out?" Kurai asked, looking at the vixen.

"Yup... Nothing is ever good on TV these days." the inspector replied, looking back at him.

They stared at each other for quite a while, then they blushed when they realized what they're doing, and quickly turned away. There was an awkward silence with the exception of the TV, then Kurai decided to break the silence.

"... Uh... Gomen nasai. That was pretty awkward..."

"Yeah... Well I'll head off to bed. You should stay for the night. Its pretty late."

"Arigatou gozaimasu. I'll just take the couch. Oyasuminasai."

"Hm?"

"It means good night in Japanese."

Carmelita rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Good night then."

The vixen walked off into her room, got into her night gown and gently laid herself in bed. There on her night stand was the same picture again of Sly and herself on the pier. She placed the picture frame, holding the picture down flat, then looked at the ceiling, and began to contemplate.

"Sly... If only you hadn't lied to me... You would been a great cop, but I guess not everyone gets what they want... Kurai... He seems like a nice guy. Not like those pervs back at the office. With the exception of his hair, hes looks pretty handsome... What are you saying, Carmelita Montoya Fox! Hes my partner, and only that!" the vixen yelled in her mind.

_"But you know you love him. Plus, hes a cop like you."_

_"_Its too early to have another relationship with someone! The people back at the office will think I'm getting desperate, and what says Kurai isn't just being nice just to get into my pants?"

_"Carmelita, Carmelita... Kurai is more like a cop version of Sly, only without the flirty part. Its not like you still love Sly... Do you?"_

The vixen ignored the thoughts in her head as she drifts off to sleep.

Back at the safe house, whats left of the Cooper gang gathered around a table. Bentley had uploaded the photos, printed them out, and brought it to the table.

"Well, guys, this won't be an easy one thats for sure. This guy has enough men to create a small army." the turtle pointed out as he shows the gang a picture of a snow leopard.

Penelope stood up and spoke.

"His name is Kokatsu Oshiro. He is the leader of an infamous yakuza gang called _The Black Sakura_. They has been terrorizing the people of Japan, and stealing valuable art pieces for quite some time now. The police have a lot trouble trying to bring the man down. They tried sending spies, but they ended up being sent back to the department, mutilated, and wrapped in a box." the mouse explained.

"To add to the fact, the items he has stolen had magical properties. For one, _Angel's Tear._ Its an aquamarine the size of a baseball, shaped like the name implies. Anyone who holds it can manipulate water." Bentley added, showing the gang a picture of the _Angel's Tear._

Sly wasn't listening as he thought about the white fox.

"Bentley, can you look up a person named, The Phantom Thief?" the master thief asked.

"... Uh, sure... Any reason?"

"I just want to confirm something."

The turtle nodded as he types some keys into his computer. A few seconds later, something came up.

"Alright, I got something. The Phantom Thief was, like you, Sly, a master thief. He was skilled in picking locks, evading traps, and disguising himself, from what the police reports say. Most of them says that he would disappear like a ghost. A perfect name for him, I would say. The Phantom Thief also stole valuable art pieces two years, until he disappeared. No one knows where he or the art pieces that he had stolen, was." Bentley read to the gang, then shows Sly a picture of the thief. He was perched on a rooftop, with his eyes giving off a faint red glow in the darkness. His attire seemed to be a black ninja outfit, but what caught Sly's eye was that the phantom thief had only one tail, not nine.

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><p>Well, school hasn't stopped me, yet. Whoo!<p>

For those who don't know.

_Arigatou gozaimasu:_Thank you very much


	5. Chapter 4

**(Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; Sucker punch production does.)**

Whoo! Something nice to read after a tiring day of school, right? Enjoy and review.

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><p>Two weeks since the burglary at the cafe, Carmelita's wounds had healed, and was already back at work. Apparently, Barkley had forgotten that the vixen was wounded, and had yelled at her along with her partner. After some yelling, the two foxes refreshed the old badger's memory.<p>

"I see you're getting quite comfortable in your new environment, Inspector Akatsuki." the chief let out, puffing out a small cloud of smoke from his cigar.

"Uh... Hai, chief... Can you open a window or something? I have some health problems with cigar smokes." Kurai muffled through his sleeve which he used to coverhis mouth and nose.

Carmelita walked over, and opened a window, letting fresh air in, and cigar smoke out. The two inspectors had finished their report about the burglars and the pursuit of Sly Cooper. Kurai left some detail out, and lied about some parts of his report, for the sake of hiding the fact that he let the master thief, take pictures of the contents of the file.

"And that pretty much sums it up" the fox said.

"Hmm... Though it was unfortunate that you didn't catch Cooper, at least you recovered the file." Barkley replied, puffing out another cloud of smoke.

The vixen felt uneasy from hearing Kurai's report. He was very close to capturing the master thief. Her thief.

"So lets get down to business. Our friends in Japan had given us a case. They're having problems, bringing down a yakuza gang called, The Black Sakura. Their leader, Kokatsu Oshiro, has enough men to take over all of Japan. That is why I want you two to bring that man down before he has the chance. I booked you two a plane to Japan, so get what essentials you need." Barkley explained, showing Carmelita the file.

The inspectors nodded, and walked out of the office. As they made their way into their own office, Carmelita couldn't help, but stare at her handsome partner. Apparently, she wasn't the only one. There were other female officers casting a dreamy look at the fox. At the same time, the men were slowly backing away from him, as if they were frightened a bit.

"He is like Sly is so many ways..." the vixen thought.

_Yes he is, except hes a fox and a cop. Hes perfect for you. Its pretty obvious..._

"We're just partners! Nothing else!"

Carmelita started another fight with her conscience.

_Face it. You're in love with him. Sly is a thief, and always will be. Kurai is better than him._

"Stop! This conversation is over! Mierda..."

"Konnichiwa... Earth to Carmelita-chan." Kurai said, waving his hand in front of his partner's face.

"Wha? Oh! Sorry there."

"Its alright. Well, you should probably start packing. The plane leaves in an hour."

Carmelita nodded, and the two inspectors left the building.

Back at the safe house, Bentley was applying the finishing touches to the plan. At the same time, he was searching for more information about the phantom thief on thiefnet. So far, there were only old newspapers, and news recordings.

"Hm... Why would Sly want to know about this guy?" the turtle said to himself.

Sly walked into the room with a dinner roll in his mouth.

"Hm mm hm hmf hmf, hmf?" the raccoon asked with his mouth full.

"Sly, swallow that, then speak."

He shrugged, swallowed the roll, and sighed in satisfaction.

"Ahh... I said, did you find anything about our phantom thief? Sly asked again.

"Only old newspapers and news videos. With what little information I have, the phantom thief seems to steal only artifacts with magical properties."

"Like our yakuza guy..."

"Right. Now to other matters. Did you and Murray pack yet? The plane leaves in an hour."

Sly made a nervous chuckle as he rubs the back of his head. Bentley shook his head and sighed.

"Still the same old Sly I grew up with." the turtle mumbled to himself, and rolled off in his wheelchair.

Carmelita found herself in the backseat of a taxi, heading for the airport. Her partner, who was in the backseat with her, was pulling his tails to his lap. All nine of them were taking quite a lot of space.

"Yeah... Gomen nasai." Kurai apologized.

"Its alright. How much time left before the plane takes off?"

"We're ahead of schedule, so we got ten minutes of free time."

The taxi pulled up at it's destination. The foxes got out of the car, walked over to the trunk, and pulled out three large duffel bags. Two were red, indicating they were Carmelita's, and one was black, which was Kurai's.

"Uh... How much did you pack?" the fox asked curiously.

"Enough to last the trip. Who knows how long we're gonna be there."

"Got a point."

As the two Interpol officers got their duffel bags checked and walked through a metal detector, they found their gate. They took a seat on one of the many rows of seats, and began to chat.

"Inspector, I couldn't help but notice the guys back Interpol were giving me an odd look, like they were scared or something." Kurai pointed out, taking a bite off a chocolate bar he bought at a nearby vending machine.

"I think it was because of your eyes. They look kinda scary. No offense, but it kinda makes you look evil."

Kurai let out a chuckle as he took another bite off his chocolate bar.

"The guys back at home are used to my red eyes. Plus they gave me an awkward look instead of a frightened look."

Carmelita couldn't help but feel like a high school girl going out on her first date. She began to blush as she imagined going out with her partner whom she just met two weeks ago. Kurai noticed, and the vixen's already blushed cheeks went to a deeper shade of red, and quickly turned away.

"Well, I take it, you're new to Japan? We have to travel by car to our destination after we land, so I was wondering if you would like to explore the country on our way there." the fox suggested.

Part of the vixen wanted to say no. She was going there to bring down a yakuza gang, and come back to France. Yet, she just smiled and nodded.

"Sounds like a plan, partner."

At a food stand nearby, Sly and his gang were watching the Interpol officers. Well, Sly only. Bentley and Penelope was busy on his laptop, and Murray was eating a large hotdog with pretty much everything you can put on a hotdog. They were all wearing a disguise. Sly looked like a wealthy business man with a monocle to add to the the touch. Murray looked like an American wrestler in a businessmen suit. Bentley and Penelope looked like they were going on an expedition in Egypt.

"Phantom Thief..." the master thief mumbled to himself.

The fox's words from their last encounter, crawled back into his mind.

_"Looks can be deceiving..."_

"Maybe he has magic or something... The Phantom thief did steal magical artifacts... Nah, he doesn't look like the type..."

**"Attention, passengers. Gate 14 is open, and ready to be boarded. Please have your tickets ready."**

The inspectors got up, picked up their duffel bags, and began to walk to their plan. Sly tapped on his gang's shoulders, and pointed at the foxes.

Inside the plane, the foxes took two seats on the side of the plane with Carmelita sitting next to the window. The gang took the four seats behind them with Sly and Murray in the back. After a few minutes, the plane took off, and was on its way to it's destination.

An hour has passed, the gang and the inspectors were napping, except Sly. He was staring out the window, thinking about the vixen he fell in love with. There was a mixture of sorrow, regret, and jealousy, going through his mind. Here he was, sitting two seats back from the vixen, and her likely new boyfriend.

"I guess it never meant to be..." the raccoon thought.

_What happened to the flirty Sly Cooper we know and love? Ever since you came back to the gang, you have been staring at that photo of your date with her._

"Great... I'm having a conversation with my conscience..."

_The point is, you still love her. Are you going to let some nine tailed fox have her without a fight?_

"What do you expect me to do? Go on my knees and beg? Sorry, not my style."

_I mean, try to bring her to love you again. Go flirt with her or what you do best._

"Fine... I sound like I lost my mind, taking to my conscience."

After staring out the window some more, the master thief slowly fell asleep.

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><p>Well, thats a wrap for today, people! Sorry if it was a little shorter than the last.<p> 


	6. Chapter 5

**(Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; Sucker punch production does.)**

Gomen nasai for not updating. Had a hard time in school, and didn't much time to write.

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><p>A few hours later, Carmelita awoken from her nap by a slight shook on on her shoulder. She turned to her partner, wide awake, and a brown she wolf in a flight a flight attendant uniform. In front of her was a cart with a variety of beverages. From simple bottles of water to expensive champagne.<p>

"Would you like anything to drink, miss? the she wolf asked.

"I'll just have a cup of coffee."

The she wolf nodded as she picks up a coffee pot and pours the black liquid in a paper cup. She then pours some creme into it, turning the black liquid into a light brown color, and hands it to the vixen.

"Sugar, miss?"

The inspector nodded as the she wolf hands her two small packs of sugar. Carmelita tore open a pack and watches as the tiny white specks fall and melt in the coffee. She turned over to Kurai, who was peacefully sipping his drink.

"What do you got there, partner?" Old Ironsides asked.

"Just a cup of tamaryokucha tea... You know coffee makes you shorter when you get older, right?"

Carmelita rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her drink.

"Thats just a myth..."

Kurai let out a chuckle as he stirs his tea with a small, plastic spoon.

"So what is Japan like?" Carmelita asked, changing the subject.

"Beautiful place. There are many things to do there. Festivals... Quite a lot of them. Theres this very nice spa in Osaka, I would like to take you."

"A spa..." the vixen thought.

Its been years since she ever visited a spa, and this case seemed like a vacation when you first look at it. A female voice came through the intercom, and spoke in Japanese. The vixen looked confused.

"She says that we'll be landing in ten minutes, so its best if we buckle up, miss Fox." Kurai assured her.

The inspector nodded and puts on her seat belts.

Sly immediately woke up after the intercom came on. The same can't be said for his hippo friend. The raccoon rubbed his eyes as he looks out the window, and noticed the plane was preparing to land. He puts on his seat belt, and gently shook his friend on the shoulder. It took a few tries, but the hippo finally woke up. He yawned as he stretches his arms out a bit.

"Are we there yet?" Murray whispered, not wanting to get caught by the inspectors.

"Yeah, buddy. The plane is about to land soon, so put on your seat belts. Sly whispered back.

Minutes later, the plane landed with a thump, then decelerated until it came to a stop at a gate. After a few minutes, everyone began to take their possessions, and depart from the plane. The gang stayed behind, waiting for the inspectors to leave first, then took their belongings, and followed.

The foxes exited the gate, and looked out the large windows. The sun was shining brightly as a crew of engineers began to re-fuel the plane.

"Welcome to the land of the rising sun, Carmelita-chan." said Kurai.

The vixen nodded as they got the rest of their duffel bags, and walked into the parking lot.

"So, how are we gonna get to Tokyo, partner?" the vixen asked.

Kurai smirked as he led her to a police cruiser. Instead of an ordinary police cruiser, this one was painted all black, and it lacked the siren lights. Carmelita raised an eyebrow as the two got inside, and took their seats. The kitsune inserted the car keys, twisted it a bit, then drove out of the parking lot.

Back with the Cooper gang, they were searching for a certain person, who Bentley asked on thief net, to give them a car to Tokyo. They came across a female poodle, holding a small sign with the words, _Wizard_, on it.

"Theres our ride, guys." Bentely said.

The poodle lead the gang into the parking lot. They stopped at a purple Daishatsu Terios Kid.

"Its... Kinda boxy..." Sly thought.

Bentely handed the poodle some money, and was given a set of car keys in return. The poodle nodded, and walked off, never to be seen again. The turtle handed Murray the keys as the gang got into the car. Sly riding shotgun, while Bentley and Penelope sat in the back seat.

"At times I regret agreeing not to bring my van..." the hippo said.

"Sorry, Murray. Since the entire world knows about you and your van from your racing career, I can't risk us getting caught." Bentley apologized.

Murray shrugged as he got into the driver seat, and puts on his seat belts.

"Where to?" the hippo asked, sounding like a rich man's personal limo driver.

Sly took out a map, and gave him some directions. Murray nodded, then drove out of the parking lot, and went straight for Tokyo.

Back to the Interpol officers, Kurai drove through town, while Carmelita stared out the window, admiring the scenery. The kitsune was right. There weren't many cars on the road, so it was smooth driving for him. Kurai pulled up in front of a large building. Carmelita got out, and looked up at the large sign on the wall.

"Spa world...?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What? It may not be a good name, but its like paradise in there. Here..."

Kurai dug into his coat pocket, pulls out an unusually large wallet, and tosses it to his partner. Old Ironsides caught the wallet, and examined it's contents. Inside was what looked like enough money to buy a house or two. The vixen stared at the large sum of cash, her eyes as wide as dinner plates.

"Isn't this a bit too much?" Carmelita asked.

"Trust me... When you walk in there, you're gonna want to spend every last yen. Have fun, Carmelita-chan. I'll be back in a few hours."

Kurai winked at her, which made her blush, then drove off.

"... Hes a keeper..."

_Somebody is in loooove!_

"Enough with that! I'm not in love with a guy who I only known for a few weeks!"

_Come on. He has a thing for ya, Who would take a girl to the greatest spa in the country, and give you a fortune to spend?_

"Ok, I may like him a little..."

_A little...?_

Luckily, the vixen was yelling in her mind, otherwise, she would be attracting a lot of unwanted attention. On the outside, shes as calm as a sleeping kitten, but on the inside, she was screaming in Spanish like a sailor.

_You're in love with him. Face it, you, Carmelita Montoya Fox, is in love with Kurai Akatsuki._

"Shut the fuck up! This conversation is over!"

Carmelita rubbed her temples, getting a small headache from yelling. After that was done, she walked into the spa.

For the next few hours, the vixen was having a time of her life. From starting off with a nice Japanese style massage, to a relaxing mud bath, to an outdoor hot spring. There was even a sports gym, where she could work out.

After hours of being pampered, night came, and Carmelita ordered a room to spend the night. She got her room number and room key, then proceeded to her room. The room was Japanese style, with only two rooms. It included tatami flooring, a small table with 6 red cushions around it, sliding doors, separating the two rooms, a bathroom, and two futons. Luckily, the room came with a night gown, along with other necessities.

The vixen showered, and puts on the night gown, which fitted her nicely.

"It feels like all the stress just went away after all of that..." Carmelita said to herself.

She walked over to her pants, that were folded neatly next to her futon, and pulled out her cell phone. Carmelita sent a text message to her partner, then looked outside the window. The city was beautiful when night came, and the city lights comes up. After ten minutes, and knock came at the door. The vixen opened it, and there stood, Kurai with a bag of food.

"May I come in, miss Fox?"

She nodded as the kitsune walked inside, but not before untying his shoes, and leaving them at the door. The two began to chat as they ate some melon bread, until it was time to for bed. Mid night came, and the vixen couldn't sleep. Instead, she stared at the night sky out the window. She looked over at her partner, who was peacefully sleeping. His hair was shining a bit from the moon light. She stared for a good few minutes before turning away, and continues looking at the sky.

"My... He looks so... peaceful..."

_You were going to say handsome..._

"Shut up..."

After hours of staring, the vixen grew tired, and fell asleep... Apparently she fell on a certain person's futon.

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><p>Ta-Da!<p> 


	7. Chapter 6

**(Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; Sucker punch production does.)**

Finally! Another chapter done! Enjoy and review.**  
><strong>

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><p>Sly found himself inside the living room of a recognizable apartment. Carmelita's apartment.<p>

"What am I doing here?" the raccoon murmured to himself.

He walked over to the window, pushed away the curtains, and stared out into the open world. The was setting, indicating it was evening.

The master thief began to search around the apartment, looking for a reason to be there. After minutes of searching, he came across a wall of pictures. One instantly caught his interest. It was a wedding. It had Carmelita and her family on one side. She was wearing a beautiful wedding dress, and was quite dazzling to the raccoon. When he turned to see who the groom was, he felt like his heart, body, and soul had broken into tiny, little pieces, grounded up into a fine powder, and melted into the fire of sorrow. Standing there, in a black tuxedo, was Kurai.

"No..."

Sly took a step back as everything around him went black.

Now, he was on the rooftops back in France. The raccoon began to hop from building to building, until he came across a familiar sight. In front of him stood himself, holding a bouquet of flowers, and Carmelita pointing her shock pistol at him. Sly watched as the scene replayed, regret filling his mind.

"If only... If only I abandoned my family tradition for good... Then this would have never happened."

Everything went black again, then turned white. Sly looked left and right, but there was nothing but white. A voice came from behind.

_Theres still time... She may still forgive you._

The raccoon turned, and found himself in his Interpol uniform.

"But what can I do? I'm a thief again, and I'm sure she will kill me. Not arrest me. Kill me if I see her again."

_Maybe you can expose Kurai that hes also a thief. That will give you extra time to find a way for her to forgive you._

A grin appeared on the raccoon's facem but quickly disappeared when he realized one important fact. The Phantom Thief had only one tail, while Kurai had nine.

"That can't work. Kurai could be lying to distract me, and I would just make a fool of myself..."

_Remember how he was able to steal the file without you noticing? You, the great master thief, Sly Cooper, somehow gotten something stolen from him. That could be the work of magic, so maybe Kurai used magic to hide his eight other tails._

The grin reappeared as the raccoon had discovered there was some hope left.

_Thats the spirit! Now wake up, and win her heart back!_

"Thanks a lot. That really brought up my spirits. See ya... Other me."

_No problem._

Sly woke up as he felt a slight tap on the shoulder.

"We're here buddy." Murray said.

The raccoon yawned as he looked out the window. There stood, at a good distance, was Mt Fuji. The sun was just rising, making the view quite perfect. Sly took out his binocucom, and snapped a photo.

"Take a left here, Murray." Bentley instructed.

The hippo nodded as he drove in the direction.

After a few minutes of driving, the van pulled up to an abandoned warehouse. It was surrounded by a small forest, hiding the building from the city. It used to have been used as a rice mill, but as years past, the building was abandoned. The gang unloaded the car, and carried their bags and equipment inside.

"Well, this place is quite roomy... I like it." Sly commented as he looks around.

The place was empty. There were no equipment lying around, and about an inch of dust was forming. There was a few offices upstairs, and thats where the gang will unpack.

"I guess they took everything when they abandoned the place. More space to practice." Bentley added.

Then gang walked upstairs, walked into an office, and began to unpack. There were four rooms for each member, and a meeting room for well, like the name implies.

Back at the Spa World hotel, Carmelita had her arms wrapped around something. She was too tired and whatever she was laying on was too comfy, that she didn't even bother to know what it was.

The vixen finally woke up, got up and yawned a bit. She looked down at what she was laying on, and her eyes grew wide. She was sitting on her partner's stomach, who was wide awake, and giving her the same expression.

After a few seconds of staring, Carmelita quickly got off, and the two ran back and hit a wall on their back. An awkward silence fills the air before Kurai spoke.

"Um... How did that happened...?" Kurai asked, his face bright red with embarrassment.

"Uh... I guess I got too tired and fell asleep... Apparently, on you..."

"Ok then... Lets just forget this ever happened, ok?"

"Right... We should get going now."

Kurai nodded as he packs his bags. Carmelita did the same, and the two walked down to the lobby. They paid the receptionist, and and continued their drive to Tokyo.

An hour after gang settled in, they took a seat on once of the chairs in the meeting room. Bentley has a map of the city on a projector facing a white wall.

"Alright. This city is huge, so its gonna take all of us to go on recon. Luckily, Japan doesn't know about the Cooper gang, so they won't recognize us, but we would still need disguises so the tourists there won't recognize us." Bentley explained.

"So that means we can get more information and not get caught." Sly replied.

Exactly. Now, I made some translators to help translate the Japanese language. Though most of the people here can speak English, it can be used to listen in on conversations."

The turtle handed everyone an earphone with a tiny mic sticking out of it.

"And that concludes phase one!" Penelope announced.

Sly had found himself in a large crowd with a variety of animals. He was in his businessman disguise, and had the translator hooked up to his ear. He was to recon the north of the city, while Murray had the east, Bentley had the west, and Penelope had the south.

The master thief began to take pictures with his binocucom of either an interesting place, like the Japanese Interpol building, or an escape route. Sadly, the buildings were too tall, forcing the raccoon to reassess his tactics. Instead of hopping from roof to roof like in France, Sly has to focus on moving about in a disguise. As he continues exploring, he takes notice of a small poster on the wall. A museum was showcasing a rare artifact called, "The Star Emerald". It was basically a round emerald, the size of a baseball with a white star in the middle. A small golden dragon was wrapped around it.

"That looks very nice." Sly thought as he snapped a photo of the poster.

The drive was long, but not boring. Carmelita took advantage of the sightseeing. They passed by a few markets, some temples, and even a cherry blossom forest. It did not cover up the awkward moment the two Interpol officers had back at the hotel.

"Uh... Carmelita-chan, you wouldn't mind if we stop at a temple?" the kitsune asked.

"Sure, why not?"

Kurai nodded as he drove up to a nearby shrine. A green statue of a fox with a key in it's mouth was at the front to greet them. The kitsune pulled out a bottle of sake, raising suspicions from Carmelita.

"Its not for drinking, Carmelita-chan." Kurai explained.

The two walked past a long row of traditional Japanese gates, called _Torii_, until they reached the shrine itself. Kurai placed the bottle at the base of the shring, knelt down, closed his eyes, and said a little prayer. Carmelita watched as he finished his prayer and walked back to her.

"My work here is done. Let us be off."

The vixen nodded as the two continued their drive to Tokyo.

Night had finally fell, and the gang had met up in the meeting room. Photos were scattered on the table.

"Well, there seems to be four museums showcasing four different artifacts." Bentley said, examining the photos.

One was the Star Emerald, another was a feather of an ancient bird with various colors, preserved in amber, a scepter made up of snakes made of silver, coiling themselves around a rod with a ruby on top, and an obsidian katana with tiny bits of ruby embedded into the blade.

"They're all pretty fancy." Sly commented.

"Now, the Black Sakura only steal artifacts that have magical properties. Penelope and I will go research the history of these items."

The three nodded and left the meeting room.

It was late, and everyone was in bed... Except a certain raccoon. He stared outside the window, and at the city.

"Carmelita... I wonder where you are sometimes... Ok I'll be honest, I always wonder where you are..." Sly murmured to himself.

The raccoon pulled out that same picture again, and stared at it. They were both happy, until he decided to go back to his family tradition. As Sly puts away the photo, he takes notice of a silhouette, perched on a tree branch. Sly quickly grabbed his cane, and ran outside to investigate who was there. The silhouette took notice of Sly's cane, since it shined brightly under the moonlight, and began to run off.

The raccoon chased the intruder through the forest, until he got closed enough, and dived on him. The intruder fell face first and held down on the ground.

"Who are you!" Sly interrogated.

The intruder, who turned out to be a young women, quickly rolled over, and kicked the raccoon off, then got up, and pulled out a katana.

"My my... I didn't know the intruder would have quite a pretty face." Sly commented

The intruder was a tan brown she wolf wearing a sleeveless ninja suit with grey bandages wrapped around her arms and legs. Her hair was short, and like her fur, her eyes were a brown color. She checked her face, and noticed her mask was missing. Sly chuckled as he waves the little hood around.

"I didn't expect someone would be at that warehouse, but since I do now... I guess I'll have to take care of you myself..." the she wolf said.

The two began to circle each other, waiting for each other to make the first move.

"Mademouselle, may I have your name?" the raccoon flirtatiously asked.

"Since you are going to die here, I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you... My name is Keira... and thats all you need to know..."

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><p>Shocking isn't it for people who knows the OC's.<p> 


	8. Chapter 7

**(Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; Sucker punch production does.)**

I am so sorry for those who have been reading this. Its been a long long time since I updated this fanfic. If you were praying for a new chapter, then I have answered your prayers xD Enjoy.

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><p>"Keira... Such a beautiful name for beautiful women." Sly commented, smirking a bit. <p>

"Flattery will get you everywhere.. Except me." the she-wolf answered coldly. 

A minute has passed, and nothing happened... Until Keira dove at the thief with her katana straight towards his chest. Sly quickly caught the blade with his cane, and pulled it off her hand. The blade flew into the air, then taking the chance, Keira performed a leg. Sly instantly fell to the ground on his side, then took a knee to the chest. Keira stomped on the master thief's hand, making him drop his cane as she catches her katana and points it at him. 

"Ow... For a pretty lady, you sure pack a hell of a punch." Sly commented as he rubs his chest. 

"I have trained my entire life with a few extra tips to kill people like you..." 

Keira was about to thrust her sword into the raccoon's chest, ending his life, when he quickly rolled to the side, grabbing his cane on the way. Angered, the she-wolf charged again with her katana raised high. Quickly learning from the last charge, Sly grabbed hooks the bandages on the hand with the sword, and grabs the other one with his free hand. Pulling her close, Sly wrapped his tail around Keira's legs, rendering her immobile. 

"My, you're even more beautiful up close. Love those eyes of yours, mademouselle." Sly said flirtatiously, bringing his face an inch away from his opponent's. 

"I swear, if you try to kiss me, you're gonna lose something more valuable than your limbs..." Keira warned, glaring at him. 

Ignoring the warning, Sly grinned as he leans closer for the kiss. Keira rips her arm out of the bandages, and gives the charmer a big slap across the face. 

A loud popping sound came as the raccoon lets go, then stumbles back, and rubs where she slapped him. A perfect hand print can be seen upon his cheek. 

"Ouch! That really hurt!" Sly yelled in his head. 

_"You asked for it..."_

Keira picked up her katana when something hit her in the neck. Her vision began to become blurry as she fell to the ground, falling unconscious. Sly raised an eyebrow as he walks over, and notices a dart on her neck. 

Bentley comes out from behind a tree with a crossbow in hand, along with more sleep darts. 

"You alright, Sly?" he asked. 

"Yeah... But I could use some ice right now..." the raccoon answered, rubbing his cheek. 

Behind his glasses, Bentley rolled his eyes, and tosses his friend some rope. Sly quickly got to work, and began tying the she-wolf, then carries her on his shoulder inside. 

The next day, the gang was back in the meeting room, waiting for their intruder to wake up. The kunoichi finally awakens, and glares at everyone. 

"Do your worst, Black Sakura..." She hissed. 

"Mademouselle, I believe you are mistaken. We're not with the Black Sakura." Sly walked up and corrected the she-wolf. 

Keira stares at them for a while, then closes her eyes. 

"You look more like a bunch of foreigners... The Black Sakura only accept people of Japanese descent." 

"Who are you, and why are you here?" Bentley asked. 

"To answer your question, little turtle... Your raccoon friend knows my name. As for my reason here, this place seems to be a perfect hideout for the Black Sakura. I hunt members of the Black Sakura, and I have mistaken your friend there for one." Keira points at Sly. 

"I see... Then maybe you are willing to help us, since you probably know this city more than we do. We have similar goals here, miss." Sly offered. 

Keira stares straight at the master thief's eyes then closes them again. 

"Fine... If helping you will help me kill off the Black Sakura, then I will assist you.." 

"Wonderful! Sorry we don't have any rooms to spare ya with." Penelope spoke. 

"Its alright. I have my own home, close to the city." Keira replied as she cuts the ropes with a hidden blade under her bandages, then walks out. 

Sly stared at the ropes, and stared at Bentley. 

"You think she could have killed us by now.." 

"But that would have her against all four of us." 

"Good point." 

The next day, Carmelita wakes up, still supporting herself with her arm on the arm rest. She looks over to her partner, whos still awake. 

"You look peaceful when you're asleep. Its kinda cute." Kurai commented, still keeping his eyes on the road. 

The vixen blushed, but quickly shook it off. 

"How long until we get to Tokyo?" she asks. 

"Three hours. No traffic so far." 

The inspector nodded as she watches everything pass by at the window. She takes notice that her partner's hands were visible, since he usually has them covered by his long sleeves. But since he isn't wearing his kimono due to a certain incident, she can see his body much more clearer. Taking advantage of the moment, she searches for a wedding ring, but finds his hands without one. 

"Well, at least hes single..." Carmelita said in her mind. 

_"Score!"_

"For once you maybe right." 

_"A course I'm right! I am you for crying out loud!"_

"Oh shut up." 

"Carmelita-chan, you should get some more rest." Kurai suggested. 

The inspector nodded as she continues watching the scenery. She couldn't get what happened at the hotel, out of her head. That our that fact that she actually enjoyed being all snuggled up against her partner. After a long time of thinking, the vixen dozed off again. 

Night as finally fallen upon Tokyo. Sly and Keira were sitting on the roof of a museum, where the star emerald was going to be displayed the following day. 

"We got five minutes before the mission beings." Sly said. 

The she-wolf ignores him, and stares down at the streets. She recently was given her hood back from Sly, in return gave him another slap. 

"So... Wanna tell me anything about yourself?" 

"I do not give any information about myself to the likes of you..." 

"Ouch. I'm hurt, miss." Sly puts a hand on where his heart is, and pretends to look hurt. 

Keira rolled her eyes as Bentley appeared on Sly's binocucom. 

"Alright, you two. Begin and be careful. Who knows what kind of security this place has." 

"Buddy, when has security ever been a problem?" 

Sly looked at his partner who had opened the ceiling window, and began descending down through a rope. The master thief followed, quietly landing on the marble floor. The museum was like your typical one. Full of old things and treasure. 

"So much for going through the vents..." said Sly. 

"There are laser grids and camera in the vents. Going through there is unwise..." 

"Sounds like you've been here before, beautiful." 

"I used to be a security guard here." 

"Makes sense.. And at least I learned something from you, tonight." 

"Shut up, raccoon. Now, the security here is quite different from your usual security system. This museum has five security specialist, each with their own system layout. One would come at a random time, and alter a piece or two of the system, then another one would come and do the same. This, so no planned robberies would succeed." 

"Pretty smart thing for them to do, Keira." 

The she-wolf rolls her eyes as she leads her partner through a long corridor, keeping an eye out for any camera. Along the way, Sly would take a moment to look at the exhibits, likely wondering how much it will be worth on Thief Net. The raccoon came to a stop when he sees Keira, laying her head on the floor. He takes notice that unlike the marble floor he saw, this area had wooden floors. The assassin lifts her head up and looks at her partner. 

"Nightingale..." 

"You mean the bird?" 

"No, stupid. Its a type of flooring used for security reasons. These floors have nails underneath them, and go through a metal clamp, which makes a loud squeaking noise as you take a step on the floor board. This type of security maybe old, but very effective." 

Sly nods, impressed by the she-wolf's knowledge about the museum. 

"So how do we traverse such an obstacle?" 

"Simple... We climb through the ceiling... Unless someone set the ceiling to easily fall when pulled." 

Sly smirked at the wolf as she gets out a set of claws for her hands and feet. She tosses Sly a set, then starts climbing up the wall, then up to the ceiling. Luckily, the ceiling wasn't set for the occasion of falling. Sly did the same, and the two began traversing through the nightingale floor. Because the master thief was behind Keira, he had a good view of her rear. Luckily, she doesn't notice. He smirks at the sight of his partner's rear. 

"Heh... But not as good as Carmelita's... Carm..." 

The smirk quickly disappeared as thoughts of the Spanish vixen came crawling back into his mind. 

_"Hey! Don't let this cute little wolf get to you with her ass! Though she does have a very nice one."_

"Aha! So you were admiring her ass too!" 

_"I'm you... We share the same thoughts. Now back onto the subject. Remember why you're here!"_

"Complete the mission and leave?" 

_"If I had a hand, I would smack you. The main subject! Getting Carm back, you dummy!"_

"Alright alright... Am I really this annoying?" 

_"Heh..."_

The two continue to climb, until they reached marble flooring, and drops down. Keira crouches as she quietly walks to a corner, and takes a peek. There was a young bull dog, likely a new employee. The she-wolf smirks as she knocks on the wall, trying to get his attention. As expected, the dog walks over to investigate. As hes about to turn at the corner, Keira quickly runs behind him, covers his mouth, then grabs his baton, and slams it upon his head. The dog went down with ease, clearly unconscious. 

"Ouch... Nice one." Sly commented. 

"Flirt with me again, and it will be you on the ground." 

"I guess shes one of those women who are immune to my charms..." Sly said in his head. 

_"Theres also Neyla. Then theres Ms. Ruby and the Contessa, and lets just say they are below pretty."_

"Got a point there." 

The master thief and the assassin ventures deeper, until they stop at a door that has the words, "Employees only", written in black. Keira gently lays her head on the door and closes her eyes. Hearing no sound from the other side with the exception of the machines, she slowly turns the door knob, and carefully opens the door to take a peek inside. The room was dark, witht he exception of the light from the many screens at the security console. There was a guard inside, clearly asleep. Another bull dog. 

"I got this." Sly said as he creeps in, his cane ready to smash someone's head. 

"Not my fault if you wake him up..." 

As the raccoon prepares to strike, the dog snorts a bit, stopping the raccoon, then continues snoring. Immediately, Sly slams the cane down on the dog's head, extending his sleep time. Keira walks over to the console, and begins typing in something unknown to the raccoon. 

"Get to work, raccoon." Keira commanded. 

"Bossy, isn't she...?" Sly said to himself as he opens a circuit breaker. 

"I heard that..." 

One again, back with the inspectors, Carmelita had awoken again from her slumber. She rubs her eyes and her cheek, due to it being sore from having her palm holding it for so long, and looks out the window. The sky was dark with all the buildings full of colorful lights. 

"Welcome to Tokyo, Carmelita-chan." Kurai greeted. 

"Wow..." The only thing the vixen had to describe the city. 

"We should be getting to the station in about five minutes, then we can go to my place. I want to show you my favorite dish I long to prepare." 

"Alright then... Partner..." Carmelita blushed a bit. 

It felt like he had just asked her out on another date, which she just accepted. Suddenly, the radio came on with a male voice coming through it. 

"Welcome back, Inspector. Sorry we have to postpone our little meeting because theres something going on at a certain museum. We haven't gotten any updates from our guard stationed there, so we need you to go over there and investigate. Gomen nasai. We're sending you the coordinates to your gps... Now." 

Kurai looked at the gps, and looked at his partner. 

"Ready, partner?" He asked, pulling out his shock pistol. 

The vixen had already drawn hers and loaded it. 

"Ready..."

* * *

><p>Again I am so sorry for updating so late. School has been tiring for me, and I never get any time to write.<p> 


	9. Chapter 8

(Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; Sucker punch production does.)

. Why writer's block, whyyyyyyyy!? Anyway, finally managed to finish this chapter. Enjoy and do leave a comment or complaint.

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><p>While Sly was busy working on the circuit board, Keira had jotted down the current security devices active in her head. Very useful for when the two are going to depart. She smirked as she looks at the many screens, watching the remaining guards doing their patrols, oblivious of what is going on in the surveillance room. Sly pulled out a small chip that Bentley had given him and attaches it into the circuit board.<p>

"Bentley, you getting all of this?" the thief asked after activating his binocucom.

The turtle, appearing on the left screen, gives a thumbs up.

"Crystal, Sly. With this, I can monitor everything that goes on in this museum."

"Alrighty then. Thats one down, three to go."

As Sly closed the circuit, a sharp whistle from Keira caught his attention. He turns to the she-wolf, who was pointing at one of the screens. There were three figures in dark clothing, sneaking up on a guard. One pulled out a knife as he closes in, then moves his hand up to cover the guard's mouth and jabs the knife through his neck. The guard's eyes widened before slowly closing and was dragged someplace off screen.

"Black Sakura are in the museum, foreigner..." Keira said calmly.

"Aww crap. Bentley, we need to take the Star Emerald now. The Black Sakura are coming to claim their loot."

Bentley made what looked like a mix of shocked and panicking face.

"Blwhaa?! Sly, go take the Star Emerald before they do!"

The master thief turned off his binocucom and looked at Keira.

"Lets go fetch us a fancy arti-." said Sly.

The she-wolf was already out the door before he could even finish.

"-fact... Anxious aren't we?"

_Like a certain vixen we know, riiiight?_

"Aw save it for later, other me."

_Whatever you say, real me._

Sly ran out of the room, intent of catching up with Keira. After a few tosses and turns, he finds her hiding behind a replica statue of "The Thinker." Amusing that the statue was a pig so such a creature in that pose made it even more amusing. Keira pulled the raccoon to her and pushes his head down.

"You wanna get spotted?!" the she-wolf whispered angrily.

"Can you be more gentle? I'm sensitive." Sly quietly snickered.

The kunoichi rolled her eyes and she moves up from her crouching position to take a peek. Across the room was the Star Emerald in a glass case, along with the three Black Sakura members. They were maneuvering around the lasers that were surrounding the artifact.

"Foreigner, I need something to throw into the laser grid." Keira said, eyeing the cane.

The master thief took notice and hide the cane behind his back.

"No way I'm letting you toss this cane like a rag doll. Its a family heirloom." Sly defended, pulling out and handing her a baton. Which he took from the guard back in the surveillance room.

Keira takes the baton, peeks over the statue one more time, then throws the baton straight into the laser grid.

Back with our Interpol officers, Carmelita looks up at the museum as they pulled up. She looked around, seeing everything so calm. They were the only officers at the museum. Kurai a course took notice as he got out of the car, checking his shock pistol.

"Our branch tends to be more... Subtle compared to the others, Carmelita-chan."

"Thats understandable. Don't want the public getting worried."

Carmelita watches the kitsune walk up the stairs to the front door and follows. She takes note of an open window on the second floor and shook her head. Either a guard was getting some air and forgot to close the window, or someone used it for entry into the museum. Kurai turned the door knob and a course, it was lock.

"Well, so much for the frontal approach. Good, I never did like such." the officer chuckled as he spots the open window.

The vixen watched as he starts climbing up the wall, questioning his actions in her head, but follows anyway.

"Explain to me why we're going through the window?" she questioned the kitsune, watching the ground as she ascends.

"Now where is the element of surprise if we go through the window?" Kurai chuckled as he slips in the window, extending his hand towards Carmelita.

The vixen takes it and was hoisted up and into the building. Once inside, the two drew their shock pistols and flashlights then proceeded down the hallway. Everything seems normal. All too quiet. This screamed trouble in Carmelita's brain. She looked over at her partner, wondering if he was thinking the same thing. They passed by a sign leading to the Star Emerald. Something screaming in their mind that the source of the problem is where the artifact is. Also the fact the alarm suddenly went off, meaning something has touched the laser grid.

Keira smirked as the Black Sakura thugs began to panic. She draws out her katana and jumped in between the three. It took a moment for them to notice assassin in the chaos before drawing their weapons. Unfortunately, they didn't have time to retaliate as Keira swiftly cuts each individual down. Sly watched as the event draws out, taking notice of the smirk on the she wolf's face. Which turned into a a rather menacing grin. Her eyes being all wide did not help along with the fact that it started to glow a deep red. To some, one would think she has gone insane. To Sly, it almost reminded him of an old enemy of the family.

"Lets go. Our job is done..." the she-wolf spoke calmly, her face returning back to normal as she turns and walking away from the raccoon.

"But what about the Star Emerald?"

She stopped for a moment.

"If I remember correctly, Interpol should be in the building any second now. Theres no time to get the emerald. Its better to leave it here for Interpol than to let these wankers have it. Now lets move."

The raccoon raises an eyebrow at her as she ran off. He merely shook his head as he followed. Once the two have gone, Carmelita and Kurai rushed into the scene. Seeing the three thugs laying in a pool of blood, she brought her hand up to cover her mouth, feeling sick to the stomach. They had multiple gashes all over their body. Kurai himself walked over and knelt by one of the bodies, placing a hand on the thug's neck for a pulse. Fortunately, he was still alive. The kitsune moved to check on the others, but sadly they weren't so lucky.

"Carmelita-chan, please help me with this one."

The vixen nodded as she moves to help him lift the thug by one arm while he gets the other. Kurai pulled out a walkie talkie from his kimono and held down the switch.

"Chief, we're at the museum and found three intruders trying to take the Star Emerald... Or was."

"Was you say, inspector? Please explain." the voice from the device responded.

"Well, you better come look yourself. And bring an ambulance, quickly."

"Sore o eta. Over and out."

Kurai puts the device back into his kimono and brought the thug's arm over his shoulder, Carmelita doing the same.

"Come on. Lets get this pup to the front entrance. I don't know how long hes going to last judging from the wounds."

Back to the thief and the assassin, they had made their way out of the city and back to the safe house. Keira had walked off somewhere while Sly met up with the rest of the gang in the meeting room.

"Hey guys. Anything new while we were gone?" the raccoon asked, taking a seat on one of the chairs.

Bentley was busy going through the security files, gotten from hacking into the network through the chip. Penelope looked up from her book that she was reading.

"While you two were on your way back, the news came up showing whats going on back at the museum. Apparently, the Black Sakura were attacked and Interpol is pulling a survivor out. What happened back there? You two were awfully quiet."

"I was a bit creeped when I saw it, but our new friend here came up and attacked the thugs. When I mean attack, I mean mutilated them."

The raccoon began to tell the group about the incident with Keira throwing a baton into the laser grid to her giving him that menacing grin.

"She looked like a completely different person after she attacked them."

Murray, who was holding up a bowl of ramen, drops the bowl as he stares at Sly when he mentioned the mutilation.

"... I think I lost my appetite..."

Back at the museum, police cars had pulled up in front of the building and officers had begun sealing the area off from the curious citizens. The Black Sakura thug was taken away on a stretcher while Carmelita and her partner had taken a seat on the stairway. She still felt queasy from seeing the seeing the corpses all cut up. Kurai took notice and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You going to be ok there?" he asked.

"I'll be fine, but thank you for asking." the vixen said, giving him a small smile.

The kitsune nodded as a German shepherd walked up to the two. He had a rather menacing look on his face, a cigar sticking out of his mouth, and sported an Interpol uniform with a police hat to finish the touch. The look suddenly disappeared as he made a very friendly smile.

"You two ok?" The german sheperd asked.

"Hai, chief. Hows the patient?" Kurai said, getting up and saluting.

Carmelita got up and did the same, receiving only a chuckle from the chief.

"At ease you two. The patient is all bandaged up and should be alright. I got the clean up crew going in to secure the other bodies. Now, do you know any reason these thugs were there?"

Old Ironsides dropped her hand and stepped forward.

"From what we learned so far, these criminals was trying to steal something from that room." she began to explain.

"The Star Emerald that was suppose to showcase tomorrow night." Kurai added, receiving a nod from the vixen.

"Apparently, they weren't successful and was attacked by someone. Sadly, we didn't find anyone else when we got there."

The chief pulled out his cigar and blew a cloud of smoke away from the two officer's direction. His facial expression changing to a serious look.

"Just like some of the other cases. Black Sakura?"

"We haven't checked, but when the patient comes about, we'll find out soon enough." Kurai nodded.

"Alright, when our patient is conscious do come tell me. I'll be in my office." the chief tipped his hat before walking off.

Carmelita sat there, the image of the unlucky thugs still running into her mind. That memory of when she first went through Sly's criminal profile. It lead her to a case about the incident with his father where Interpol had found his body brutally beaten. There was a photo of the corpse, and it wasn't very pretty. Multiple bruises, gashes, and even some bones were showing.

Kurai stared at the women some before putting a hand on her shoulder, gently shaking the vixen.

"Moshi moshi? Earth to Carmilta-chan?"

Instantly she got out of her trance like state and faces the kitsune.

"Sorry, I was just... Zoning out..."

"Its alright. We're dismissed for the night, so lets go to my place and get some rest."

She nodded some as the two officers got up, dusting themselves before heading over to Kurai's car.

Amongst the crowd, a figure in a trench coat watches as Interpol officers scurry about at the scene. His or her face undetermined as an old fedora and a muffler covered up a good portion of the face. Slowly, the figure turns and walks a good distance away from the crime scene. After which the figure would dig into his pocket, pulling out a cellphone. A few numbers dialed followed by the ringing. From the phone's speakers, a feminine voice goes through.

"Genzai no jokyo to wa nanidesu ka...?"[What is the current situation?] the voice demanded, sounding like the person was in the middle of something.

"Wareware wa seizon sha o motte iru."[We have a survivor]


	10. Chapter 9

-sigh- Wow writer's block sure got me good. Luckily I managed to write a bit of this chapter every now and then. I've been having some problems editing this chapter now since the spacing refuse to save . But anyway! Enjoy and comment or complain!

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><p>"Well that certainly went well..."<p>

Carmelita had been staring out the car seat window of Kurai's patrol car. She looked over to her watch which read 2:13 AM. Tired and wanting to rest, Kurai decided to drive her to his home. Hopefully some rest would help clear the thoughts of the scene in her head. Slowly as she supports her arm on the arm rest, her eyelids begin to drop down.

"Hey, sleepyhead. We're almost there." Kurai chuckled some, glancing over at the vixen.

A course she couldn't hear him as the vixen had drifted off to sleep.

The vixen found herself in some sort of containment unit in a computer room. They seem very familiar.

It almost reminded her of... Krack-Karov Volcano. Clockwerk's lair.

"What... Why am I here?" the vixen thought to herself as she surveys her surroundings.

_"Flashback, Carmelita. Is that crime scene mucking up your mind?"  
><em>

As on cue, Sly had entered the chamber to save the vixen, but everything had suddenly gone white and the vixen found herself on Kaine Island. She and a group of men equipped with SWAT gear were storming the island. Mainly to fight the giant monstrosity that Dr. M had created. The memory was not so easily forgotten as this was where Sly would later become known as Constable Cooper after his showdown with his father's former ally. Everything from then on had been fond memories to the vixen up to the point where Cooper confessed. Memories...

The vixen felt something pull her by the back of her jacket. A chill went down her spine as everything becomes engulfed in darkness. Everything in sight was pitch black, nothing to see but herself... Until she felt some sort of presence behind her. Her time in Interpol had develop sort of a sixth sense, due to the other officers at HQ back in Paris. Carmelita draws her shock pistol as she turns around to face who... Or what was behind her. What she saw made her tremble in horror to the point she lost her grip to her weapon. Floating before her was a humongous pair of bright, intimidating, blood red eyes. They almost looked like... Her partner's eyes, but that wasn't what made frightened her. It was large, sharp, black claws that were giving off a lavender glow reaching down upon her.

Carmelita raised her arms up to cover herself and shut her eyes, awaiting the fate coming down upon her. Nothing happened for what felt like hours before opening her eyes. Everything around her has changed to what looks like outer space. She was floating before the planet earth. The eyes and the hand were nowhere to be seen.

_"Phew! That was really creepy. You have freaky dreams, Carmelita."  
><em>

"Shut up. Where is that... Thing?"

From the emptiness of space, a small voice echos through the vixen's ears. It was a mix of many voices. Man, woman, and something entirely different, with somewhat of a metallic sound to it.

"The land... Shall scorch... And burn..." it said.

"What in the world...?" Carmelita searched around her for the source of the voice.

"All shall scorch and burn..." it grew louder...

"All shall scorch and burn...!" and louder...

"All shall scorch and burn...!" then it's very voice begins to shake everything around the vixen.

"All SHALL SCORCH AND BURN!"

At that moment, the red eyes and the black hand loomed over Carmelita and the earth. This time, another hand appeared, and a black hole materialized in each hand. With a hand on each side of Earth, the black holes begin to pull the planet apart, ripping it in two. The inspector closed her eyes and covered her ears as millions and millions of cries can be heard. For what feels like hours, she heard the voices crying in agony. She hoped it would stopped soon.

Carmelita finally opened her eyes to the sight of the red eyes looking down at her. Inspector Akatsuki's eyes. The vixen turned her head to her surroundings, finding that she was now back in the car. She notices her partner's hands holding onto her shoulders, forcing the vixen to blush some.

"Whoa there. You seem to have gotten quite a nightmare. You were thrashing about to the point I had to shake you awake." Kurai explained, letting go of her shoulders.

Iron Sides rubbed her head and eyes as Kurai exited the car. She too left the vehicle and examined what she believes to be her partner's home. To her eyes, it seemed amazing for a man like Kurai to live in such a home. It was parked next to a very traditional Japanese style home that resembles the house of a noble during Feudal times. With a grassy lawn, a small pond, some bamboo stalks, a cherry blossom tree, and even an archway where Kurai drove in. The area itself were surrounded by modern homes, so this house is quite the odd one out.

"Wonder if there are fish in there..." the vixen thought to herself, imagining what the rest of the home looks like in broad daylight.

Kurai looked over at the vixen staring at the pond and chuckled some before leading her into the house.

"This is a first for you, yes?" he asked as the two approached the door.

Carmelita nods some as he turns the knob and pulls the door open. Inside the first thing she would see is the genkan or the Japanese version of a foyer or a porch. The floor behind was raised so that any dirt would stay in the recessed area. A pair of straw sandals can be seen placed neatly straight towards the door. A sign that there is another person who lives in this house. Kurai walks up to the raises platform before taking a seat on the ledge and starts removing his Zori or the Japanese version of flip flops, and places them neatly facing the door. The vixen would remember this as normal Asian customs to remove your shoes before entering a house. Her mother used to pester her about taking off her shoes back when she was a child.

After Kurai had gotten up from the ledge, wearing his tabi socks, Carmelita does the same, removing her boots and placing them neatly facing the door. The two would then walk down the hallway, leading up to the living room. On the way, the sound of a television playing can be heard. When the Interpol officers walked into the living room, they could see the TV on and a couch facing away from them with the back of a person's head with fox-like ears being visible. At the sound of their footsteps, the ears flickered and the person got up and turned to them. Carmelita's eyes widened some as the figure seems to be a white furred one tailed vixen. And holding a napping baby with white fur too, in her arms.

"Welcome home, Kurai-kun." the person spoke with quite a feminine voice.

_"Whooooooaaaaaaa..."  
><em>

The women wore a white and ice blue kimono with a sash wrapped tightly around her waist, showing off her hourglass figure. She had what some would say a model's face, judging from what Old Ironsides seen in magazines, complimented by a pair of eyes that seem to be either a golden color or a bright yellow, but what brings interest to Carmelita and her conscience is the women's hair... Her silverly white hair is so long it almost touches the ground. All in all, she was quite a beautiful women.

_"Well, there goes our chance for this handsome guy here. I was really liking him."  
><em>

"Just shut up! No need to rub it in!" Carmelita mentally yelled at her conscience.

"Rune-sama, how was my little girl? Was she good?" Kurai asked the woman.

The baby opened her little eyes and rubbed them, then looked over at Kurai. Instantly she let out a little squeal and reached out for him.

"Aww, Yuki-chan..." the inspector walks over, taking her and nuzzling the little baby.

"Your daughter has been a very good girl today." Rune smiled.

Kurai takes notice of his partner staring at the vixen, he let out a small chuckle.

"Carmelita-chan, this is Rune Akatsuki, my uncle. Rune-sama, this is my new partner, Carmelita Fox."

Rune smiled and waves lightly at the vixen.

"Konnichiwa, miss Fox."

Uncle... Carmelita just stood there with her mouth slightly open. Rune, the beautiful vixen, is actually a vulpine... Her mind is having a hard time trying to comprehend how such a man is so... Beautiful?

_"How... What? That beautiful vixen is a man? How? You're telling me thats a man?"  
><em>

"Please to meet you, mister Akatsuki..."

The fox bows before her before turning to Kurai.

"How is France, Kurai-kun? I bet it is quite fascinating."

Back at the Cooper Gang's new hideout, Bentley and Penelope were busy studying the security rotation, taking note of who comes in and what is changed. Murray had gotten himself some weight lifting equipment so he wouldn't lose his touch. Also some car parts from an auto-shop for customization of the gang's current vehicle. Keira was in her room, doing who knows what. She has been in there ever since the incident, never coming out. Whenever Murray would bring back food, he would have to leave it at her door. As for our master thief, Sly was in his room, laying in bed, starring at the stone ceiling.

As much as he should be thinking of the job at hand, the thoughts of Carmelita and the Phantom Thief refuse to leave his mind. An thief that could almost rival his skills is in the guise of a policeman, is also the partner of his ex.

Hopping out of bed, he picks up his family cane, lying against it, and leaves the room. For some reason, the raccoon felt the need to talk to Keira. Moving down the hall, there was nothing but silence. It was probably late and everyone was asleep. Upon reaching to the she-wolf's room door, he raises a hand to knock, but stops only an inch away from it.

"You'd do best to make your presence less noticeable, raccoon." Keira's voice coming from behind the door.

"Ah, so you noticed. May I come in?"

"If you have thoughts of making any sort of move onto me, I suggest you leave those at the door."

That brought a small chuckle from the raccoon as he shrugs.

"Crystal."

A small clicking sound broke the silence, the door knob turning, then the door itself turns back, finally revealing the she-wolf. She was still wearing the same attire, even the same facial expression when the two first met.

"Ah, the lady has finally revealed herself. A pleasure. May I come in?" Sly bows, looking up at her.

The kunoichi said nothing, but turned and moved to her bed. The room was as simple as it gets. A small bed and a nightstand. Only thing out of the ordinary was the katana hanging on the wall. Sly follows and quietly closes door.

"So, since you are going to be with us for quite some time, I feel like we should get to know each other a little more better, don't you agree?" Sly gave her his most friendliest smile.

Sitting in a meditating style on the bed, she was silent for a almost a minute before speaking.

"What would you like to know, raccoon...?" She asked almost with a dull voice.

"Well, you got a family name?"

"No." the she-wolf responded rather quickly.

Sly raised his hands in defense as if something were to happen.

"Alright alright. So where are you from?" he asks, leaning back on the wall.

"Queensland, Australia. Where I was from exactly, unknown."

"Australia, eh? Well that doesn't explain the whole ninja get-up."

Keira stands up and walks over to her katana, picking it up and drawing it slightly from it's sheath.

"Believe or not, there are other groups like the Black Sakura..." She turns, sword fully drawn.

"A long time ago, in a small secluded town. I know not of the name, but I remember that it was my birthplace. The town was attacked and burned to the ground. Everyone was killed. Men, women, and children. Except the infants. The people who attacked were called, the Burning Taipan. As comical as it might sound, they were a large threat that even involved the military to step in. These people took the infants, and used them in an experiment. A program to create the perfect soldier. I was one of them."

Sly stood there, listening carefully at her story. She almost reminded him of himself and the attack from the Fiendish Five.

"At the age of ten, we were put to intense and brutal training, given experimental equipment and augmentations like these bandages." Keira shows him the grey bandages wrapped around her wrist to almost her elbow.

"Crafted with various materials unknown, it was made to block powerful strikes from simple melee weapons to even a .50 caliber bullet."

"Wow, something like that could prove very useful for the gang."

"Doubt it. With such, we were trained to to have our reflex at it's maximum, take heavy blows, survive through many environmental conditions, how to use any weapons, assassination techniques, various martial arts, computer hacking, stealth, and harden our will like iron. There were thirty of us when the program began. Only four of us are left when Interpol and the military finally destroyed the Burning Taipan. Me and my sisters as I call them, were put into therapy and under surveillance for three years." Keira slides the blade back into it's scabbard.

Sly nods slowly at the she-wolf's story.

"So you are a super-assassin."

"If that is how you put it, yes. Anything else? I wish to be alone." the she-wolf moves back to her bed.

"What brings you here in the land of the rising sun?"

Keira was silent again before turning towards Sly.

"What if the Burning Taipan and the Black Sakura were just two gears of one machine...? Think about that. Now leave." she demanded.

"But."

"Leave or you'll be missing a body part.." The she-wolf glared. Her brown eyes gave out a very faint red glow.

Putting his hands up defensively, Sly slowly backs away towards the door before turning to leave.

"Good night."

"Shut up."

Inside, Sly knew there has to be some good in the she-wolf... Well maybe. Leaving the room, Sly had decided to go outside, get some fresh air before bed. It wasn't like he was going to fall asleep anytime soon.


End file.
